Hotmail
Readers share horror stories of holiday travel
From east to west, north to south, winter storm effects felt across U.S.
 | Video |
 |
Snow and ice hamper holidays Dec. 24: Record snowfall in the Northwest and wet weather heading toward much of the East has made traveling difficult both in the air and on the road. MSNBC |
Most popular |
| |||
For many people around the nation, the weather outside truly is frightful.
A cold front gripped the Pacific Northwest, dumping several inches of snow in a powerful storm not seen in more than a dozen years.
The storm has since moved east and has led to, among other things, delayed or canceled flights, treacherous driving conditions and other headaches.
Read on for just some of the stories submitted by msnbc.com readers.
I was origninally supposed to fly out of Bismarck, ND to Reno, NV Monday morning to be with my family, but my flight was cancelled due to "mechanical failure." I was rebooked to Wednesday but my flight was delayed over an hour so I was unable to make my connecting flight in Denver. I again had to be rebooked to Friday. United Airlines is refusing to refund my ticket or pay for my hotel even though my original cancellation was due to mechanical failure. The worst part is that they screwed up and sent my luggage on an earlier flight to Reno so I have no clothes, deoderant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. I am now spending Christmas Eve and Christmas Day alone in a hotel room.
— Joe R. Dickinson, N.D.
Our flight from Rochester, NY to JFK was delayed so long that we were rescheduled for Monday, the 22nd. Fearing that the second storm hitting the East Coast on Sunday, the 21st would back up travel again we decided to call our travel insurance and see if they would cover the cancellation. On their advice, we cancelled. Of course you couldn't get through to the airline to tell them you'd cancelled. Our bags went to Venice and we are sure they are still there - Delta can't find them. Now we're not sure if we will get our trip $ back through insurance or our bags back from Delta. But we are home and warm — not sitting in an airport.
— Sue Tierney, Bluff Point, N.Y.
My brother and his family from Canada were suppose to be in California on Monday 12/22/08 for Christmas, and my parents 50th Wedding Anniversary on the 12/27/08 so we are really praying and hoping that they make it tonignt it has been really frustrating for them and us as its a family get together my other brother from Russia is already here, he made it last week. So we are keeping our fingers crossed to see them tonight at SFO airport.
— Patricia Kahn, Manteca, Calif.
I wanted to go home for the holidays, and was originally booked on a flight from Richmond, VA to Portland, Maine, connecting in Philadelphia. Because of weather in Philly, I was delayed in Richmond, and I missed my connection by 1 minute (plane was still at the gate, but the door was closed.) After that, got re-booked on two other flights that got canceled (one even after we were all on the plane!) All having to do with weather. The bright part of the story is my airline's customer service people were amazing. They managed to get my fiance and I guaranteed seats on a flight to Portland, Maine the next day, a discounted rate at a hotel, and an overnight kit, since our luggage was already in Portland. I managed to get home for the holidays on Monday morning, a full 24 hours after I was supposed to get there.
— Jordan, Williamsburg, Va.
We had planned to have our daughter from Michigan with us here tonight, but she is still at Detroit Metro Airport because her flight to Chicago was cancelled at 2:00am. She was suppose to be here at 8:25pm last night, but after she waited for over an hour on the runways, she was taken back to the gate and now she has to wait until some time around 7:00am to leave.
— Shelly Trolz, El Mirage, Ariz.
We flew from Portland to Las Vegas the 18th for my duaghters cheerleading competition. We were supposed to fly out Sunday night the 21st but all flights were cancelled into Portland. After we found out that it may be the evening of the 25th or 26th before we could get back home, the coaches got creative and the team chartered a bus. It was almost a 28 hour ride but we made it safely and everyone was home in time for christmas. We are super thankful to drivers who after dropping us off had to turn around nd get back to Vegas for their Christms too.
— Brandy, Hillsboro, Ore.
I am an airport employee at Chicago O'hare Airport and I have worked there for over 10 years and this winter storm has to be one of the worst I've seen working here. but to all the passengers that are frustrated. The airlines can't help your situation at this time. I see some passengers expecting the pilots to still try to fly. So let me ask you, would you want the pilots to risk their lives and your lives so you can have your precious Christmas dinners or would you want to wait it out until this thing blows over? My suggestion would be to wait it out.
— Danny, Chicago
A normally 1 hour drive to the ariport took 4 hours in Indy. Conditions on I-465 were absolutely horrible, we never even got on it. We could see cars turning around on the on-ramp, coming back down it the WRONG way, just to get away from it. Local news said it was the semi-trailers trying to get up the slight inclines that stopped traffic. Totally iced over. As I said, it took us 1 hr. to go about 5 miles, then another 2 1/2 to get to the airport. A trip that would have taken us 1, maybe 1 1/2 hrs. on a "nice" day took us a total of 6 (round trip), BUT, we made it, picked up our Marine, and made it safely home for our 1st Christmas together in 3 years. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all, but most especially to our military families.
— Dana, Indiana
I'm in college in Northern Utah, and I came home to Florida for the holidays. Somehow, the only problem I had was having to drive more carefully than usual on the slick roads. I had no delays at the airport, and my flight even landed twenty minutes early. Hopefully I'll be as lucky heading back.
— Dana, Salt Lake City
Freeways are clear, from what I see on the news. I have been stranded inside the house for 4 days now because secondary streets are not being plowed or sanded. My sister works at Seatac airport and is sleeping there to make sure she is able to get to work on time. She usually drives to the Park & Ride and catches the bus from there but mass transit is disrupted as well.
— Saydey, Puyallup, Wash.
Things do not seem well for Northwest Airlines! I have been trying for 3 days to get from Toronto to Nebraska and all of my flights keep getting canceled due to mechanical failure! When I get in line to rebook and talk to other travelers it is the same, mechanical failure. I am sitting now in Detroit waiting and another one was JUST CANCELED due to a "fuel smell" on board!
— Lori Vrchota, Denver
Today show
The weather report just made me cancel my plans to drive from Fort Wayne IN to St Helen MI. Too scary!
Dec. 23: On one of the biggest travel days of the year, harsh winter weather may cause delays at the airports. NBC’s Tom Costello reports.
— Loren Griffith, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Flight from Newark to W Palm Beach cancelled last night due to "mechanical failure" 45 minutes before scheduled departure. No other flights out available; only option was standbye. Waited for three more flights to Ft Lauderdale and W Palm Beach to depart, approx. 25-30 people on standby list for each flight. Never got out.
— Doreen Doyle, New York City
For the third Christmas, our family has decided to travel via AMTRAK! We just travelled from Albuq. to Johnstown, PA. Little delay East of Chicago due to broken tracks, missed our connection in Pittsburgh, but AMTRAK arranged for us to be bussed to our destination. AMTRAK will always be our carrier.
— Mark Povich, Cove, Ariz.
I would like to say to all the passengers who are "stranded" due to connections I am sorry your plans are not working out for you. As an employee of one of the "Major" Airlines that has been affected by these series of storms, trust me we have done everything possible to get you to your destination. We have worked 14 and 15+ hour days back to back, at the ticket counter, on the ramps in -15 degree temps. in baggage claim areas etc. to try and help you out. What no one seems to "get" is that the airlines have NO control over the weather. We will not under any circumstance put peoples lives in danger so they can have Christmas dinner with their family.
— Sue, Spokane, Wash.
We're still digging out, and it's been brutally cold the past two days, but the weather outlook here for Christmas Eve is rain and then sunny and mild for Christmas Day. Road travel is now fine after a bad weekend for travelling. Hopefully those in north-central Massachusetts and in New Hampshire without power will get it back very shortly.
— Joseph, Norwood, Mass.
I have called several dozen times since my flight was cancelled at Sea-Tac on Monday and always get a busy signal. There's no information besides "cancelled" and "Please do not go to the airport" posted on Alaska's Web site. I can't make any plans at all because I don't know what's happening or what I'm supposed to do.
— Brett, Seattle
My father, an over the road truck driver, is stuck in blizzard conditions west of Dekalb, IL. Because of the bad driving conditions he needed to drive slow to get his load dropped and ran out of hours to get home. I hope he can be with us for Christmas. More importantly, though, I want him and everyone else safe and warm!
— Jan, Mattoon, Ill.
My husband & I were scheduled to fly out of Seattle to Anchorage to see our Grandchildren. We arrived 31/2 hours early waited in baggage check line for 21/2 hours our flight was to leave at 10:00 a.m. boarded plane at 10:30 sat in plane for over 3 hours then were told to leave plane and if you lived locally you should go home and rebook, because they had no idea when they would get any deicing liquid and that it would be at least 3 or 4 hours before it was our turn to be deiced. So we called our son and went home less than 2 hours we checked on flight and it had departed, needless to say I am at home and my grandkids are broken hearted that Grandma & Papa won't be there.
— Kathy Rawlings, Tacoma, Wash.
We were trying to get to Portland on I 84, but got stuck in Hood River, Oregon. The big rigs (trucks) are backed up in Hood River, The Dalles, and all the way back in Eugene, they are waiting to get back on the freeway. We made it to Eugene finally, while driving on some very snow covered, slick, roads.
— Rita Dempsey, Alaska
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
-
Rate Story:
View popularLowHigh - Instant Message
MORE FROM SEASONAL |
 Seasonal Section Front |
| Add Seasonal headlines to your news reader: |
Resource guide